Thomson Brodcast Announces APS RF Synthesizer With Adaptive Precorrection for Automatic Tuning of High-Power Signals
TURGI, Switzerland — Sept. 7, 2012 — Thomson Broadcast today announced the APS RF synthesizer system for use with AM and DRM radio transmitters. A first for Thomson, the system replaces the Thomson transmitter’s RF synthesizer and includes an adaptive precorrection feature that automatically compensates for changing amplifier characteristics. APS enables broadcasters who send high-power signals to improve transmission quality, thereby increasing coverage in the area of reception and enabling them to broadcast higher data rates or higher audio bit rates.
APS helps the operator ensure that the broadcast chain is always tuned for optimum transmission by automatically compensating transmission limitations in the high-power stage of the amplifier system. It automatically adapts to changes in the transmission chain and readjusts each time the transmitter is starting the broadcast program. No manual tuning is required. In cases where different antennas are available, the transmitter will automatically compensate the difference and adjust the effect on the broadcasting transmitter.
Other important features of the new APS system include ripple compensation on the transmission bandwidth, which results in passband-ripple of less than 0.1dB; analog audio transmission improvement in terms of linearity and frequency response, resulting in an improved transmission chain; better digital audio transmission in terms of MER and spectral purity; short-term training modus using RF feedback signals; and fast signal processing for the test-signal and the correction filter system.
“The APS system is a new development for our high-power shortwave transmitter business,” said Josef Troxler, managing director, Thomson Broadcast AG. “Previously there was no system available that fit into our product line, and without this system, broadcast capacity would be limited in its performance on air. Now our customers can upgrade their existing transmitters with adaptive precorrection to get the best signal quality and yield even better function. In addition simple automatic tuning translates to shorter commissioning time.”
Thomson Broadcast will demonstrate the APS system at IBC2012 on stand 14.B20. A full version will be available to the industry in the first quarter of 2013.
About Thomson Broadcast
Since the earliest years of broadcasting, the Thomson name has been synonymous with expertise and innovation at the highest level. A trusted partner to the world’s leading broadcasters, Thomson has pioneered many developments that have shaped the industry, leading innovation in solid-state technology, Digital Adaptive Pre-correction (DAP), Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM), and Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB); winning multiple Emmy® Awards; and gaining more than 50 patents in technologies that have become fundamental to broadcasting. Thomson Broadcast is building on this great heritage with a market-leading portfolio of transmission products for terrestrial television, radio broadcasting, and state-of-the-art products for scientific applications, combined with world-class systems integration services. With more than 50,000 active Thomson transmission systems deployed worldwide and a global support presence, Thomson Broadcast continues to forge technologies for the future, with initiatives such as the innovative GreenPower and broadcast/mobile convergence programs. In addition to broadcasting, Thomson’s list of projects in the field of special applications dates back to 1981 and includes installations on five continents managed by private and public organizations operating in the areas of scientific research, medical, or industrial applications.
Information about products from Thomson Broadcast is available at www.thomson-broadcast.com.
